Life in HEATTECH with Dr Nikki Stamp
Jul 06, 2020
LifeWear
Find out how everyday people wear UNIQLO's HEATTECH.
Dr Nikki Stamp wears Women’s HEATTECH Bra Scoop Neck T-Shirt underneath her scrubs.
UNIQLO is led by the brand’s philosophy of LifeWear where clothing is designed to make everyone’s life better. It is simple, high-quality, everyday clothing that is inspired by life’s needs. This winter, UNIQLO is featuring conversations with real, everyday Aussies who work, play and live in our HEATTECH range. UNIQLO’s HEATTECH range, driven by technology and innovation, serves as a base layer or thermal to help keep you warm during the colder months.
Dr Nikki Stamp FRACS is a well-known cardiothoracic surgeon who has trained throughout Australia and is one of the few females in her field. Based in Perth, she provides adult cardiac surgery and she uses her expertise to help her patients live healthier, more fulfilled lives.
Nikki’s research has been published in a number of high-profile medical journals and she takes great pleasure in teaching medical students and surgical trainees to become the next generation of skilled medical professionals.
Her success in the medical field has seen her present on national TV shows and contribute to major publications across Australia. She is also the author of “Can You Die of a Broken Heart?” and “Pretty Unhealthy”. She is currently working towards a PhD through Curtin University, investigating how to get female patients with heart disease more physically active.
UNIQLO Australia spoke to her recently to find out more about her passion and desire to change the way people think about health and also provide mentorship and support to women in the surgical field and other professions.
What inspired you to become a doctor and a surgeon?
When I was younger, my mum had medical problems, so I learnt a lot through her experience. I also used to grow up watching doctors like Victor Chang on TV and the amazing things he did for his patients.
I also really love the idea of being able to provide my patients with that immediate relief after surgery for both their physical and mental wellbeing.
The human body is amazing in how it works and can heal itself with the right support and treatment. Every day I learn something new about the human body and I find it completely fascinating that there are almost endless possibilities.
Another part that really drives me is that I really love the people I work with. I’m in an incredibly privileged position where I have a great team, and together, we’re able to make really impactful changes to people’s lives.
How do you keep warm and comfortable on your feet for so long?
When it comes to heart surgeries, we keep the operating theatres extra icy cold. For heart surgery, we cool the patient's core temperature to ensure that their organs are kept protected as much as possible during surgery, so we really need a cool room as well.
It’s not uncommon to see a couple of people wearing a blanket when the theatre is very cold.
Some of the colder times were when I used to work as a transplant registrar. You would spend a lot of time on planes in the middle of the night in the freezing cold.
Usually, if I know there is going to be an operation where we will have the theatre really cool, I will wear a light layer under my scrubs. Something that is light like a HEATTECH top, but warm enough and comfortable.
Outside of the operating theatre you’ve featured on TV, written books and more, what else do you focus your efforts on?
My biggest frustration when it comes to health information is that it’s either communicated badly or misinformation is spread.
My aim is to really help people become their healthiest selves, but in order to do that, they really need information that is clear, understandable and accessible. Health information shouldn’t make you feel any pressure or shame.
Being a cardiothoracic surgeon, I’m obviously a big supporter of the Heart Foundation. I work with them to help bring their information and programs to the general public as well.
I mentor a number of women who are training to become surgeons, as well as women across other male-dominant professions. I also support a number of other charities and causes around education for girls in disadvantaged areas, as well as the provision of healthcare in disadvantaged areas.
How has the field of cardiothoracic surgery changed since you started?
In the medical field, technology is constantly being developed. The field of cardiothoracic surgery is quite young and has only been around since the 1960s because we didn’t have the technology to do things such as stop people’s hearts safely.
One of the biggest developments is artificial hearts. When I first started, they were the size of a dinner plate almost so you could not use them on women. These days they’re about the size of an apple, which means they can be used in more people than before.
The workforce itself is a little slow at seeing women come through, however, it is slowly getting there. I hope to inspire more to join us.
It’s really important to me to help to directly or indirectly encourage women or people from different backgrounds to enter the field. The stereotype of who surgeons are, really needs to be broken down.
What would be your best advice as a woman navigating a heavily male-dominated profession?
Don’t let anyone ever tell you that your gender is the reason you cannot do a job. People try to throw women bits of discouragement or discouragement disguised as advice saying they cannot do a job because they are a woman, which can be disappointing as it’s not true.
If it’s your passion, you're good at it and enjoy it, go for it. I only wish that more people would give out as much positive encouragement as they do negative. My best advice is to ignore the haters.
What are your favourite HEATTECH items?
I absolutely love the HEATTECH Ultra Warm Leggings, they’re so comfy and warm. I wore them the other day to work under a dress and basically stayed in them all day and night. I also really like the HEATTECH Bra Sleeveless Top to wear under my clothes, it’s super comfy and light.
The HEATTECH range is perfect for me because I don’t really like wearing bulky thermals and the range really makes it warm and light. Will be perfect when I get back on the plane for work but it’s great to have that light layer underneath my scrubs while I’m working in the operating theatre too.
Nikki wears:
Women’s HEATTECH Bra Sleeveless Top
Women’s HEATTECH Ultra Warm Leggings
Women’s HEATTECH Bra Scoop Neck T-Shirt
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